Am I crazy not to like Ampeg??

[Eminor3rd]

Nope

 

[hasbeen]

it definetly has a voice.....which is versatile however. You may not like. ....which is fine of course.

To me however, it is a classic. I wouldn't be without an Ampeg in my collection.

 

[Surly]

"Am I crazy not to like Ampeg??" No you are not crazy.

We each have our own shimmering mirage of tonal goals to pursue.

But please don't write off Ampeg until after you've played a rig like this in a band setting.

It kills. Period.

Oh nice post.

 

[Ric5]

I love my ampeg b2 and b3 amps!

 

[bareass]

i have a svt 5pro going through a flat back 810. the tone is great, i've always liked ampeg. now i'm ordering in the svt 210av. i played one this weekend and was completely surprised with the tone. i AB'ed it to a mark bass 210 combo and found to ampeg much punchier and less boomy then the markbass.
i'll be running it through a eden wt-300

 

[Holy War]

meh you like what you like

 

[JTE]

Not crazy for not liking Ampeg. Nor for not liking Fender basses, DR strings, Schaller strap locks, Quann bridges, etc.

Crazy for caring what others think, yeah.

John

 

[dalkowski]

Not crazy for not liking Ampeg. Nor for not liking Fender basses, DR strings, Schaller strap locks, Quann bridges, etc.

Crazy for caring what others think, yeah.

John

+1.

 

[rappa29]

Play what you like. Like what you play.

My worthless $.02..I really dig my friend's SVTPRO3 and SVT410HLF rig LIVE. But prefer my GK700RBII and his SVT410HLF for recording. YMMV, yada, yada....

 

[RexNFX79]

Ampeg solid state amps are lack luster IMO but their tube amps are hard to beat.

 

[kdogg]

It's kinda like saying, "Am I crazy for not liking steak?" Invariably, people respond with things like, "steak sucks! Chicken is way better!" Or, " steak is the best! Chicken sucks!" You get the idea.

As you progress through life, you'll find your preferences change. For a while, I was into SWR, than Ampeg, than Mesa, and so on. Play what you think sounds good and don't worry about what others like or don't like. In all the years I've played bass, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen 2 bass players bring the same rig to a particular gig. Everyone has different tonal goals, weight concerns, and finances.

One of the best live bass tones I've ever heard was a guy playing through an Ampeg SVT 3Pro and an SVT 610hlf. But a few nights later, the guy playing through a Gallien Krueger 800rb and a Mesa Diesel 2x15 sounded just as good. The first guy was playing a Fender 4 string Jazz Bass, the second guy was using a Music Man Stingray 4. Different gear, same great result.

My 2 cents.

 

[R. Laevinus]

I'm not a big fan of Ampegs because, IME, every bass I play through an Ampeg rig ends up sounding like, well, an Ampeg rig.

Whereas when I play through Eden (my favourite!) or GK (runner-up), my bass sounds like my bass, with me playing it.

I do like Ampegs for when Ampeg tone is required - but I'd hesitate to invest in one permanently, as I find it's sort of a niche product. YMMV.

 

[Shane Carter]

It's OK, I know a lot of cowbell players that don't like it either.

 

[countrybassist]

Hey man you're allowed to dig what you want and to dislike what you want. My personal thoughts on Ampeg is that there is no better tone out there. But in the last few years I've had alot of reliabilty issues with them. So I know use Aguilar, which ain't too bad either. lol

 

[billoetjen]

Some folks would say that I don't own real Ampeg gear because I have two combos (BA115HPT and BA110). I loved the 110 instantly and have every moment I've used it. I had to find the right combination of axe, EQ, volume and music style before I fell in love with the BA115HPT. It has too prominent a voice to fit in every situation. But, man, when it's cranked it has a terrific voice - better than I ever expected, and louder.

I've played through a friend's SVT all-tube head and his SVT 4X10. Unforgettable, punchy, pants-shaking BASS and distinctive voice. Not the tone I'd want to have all the time, but there really is no substitute that I've gotten that close to.



Oh, and, no.

 

[millsbass5]

I've tried every ampeg I can get my hands on and I just cant seem to get a good sound out of any of them... If you have an ampeg, why do you like it?

No,Grasshopper.You are not crazy for not liking Ampig.You are a person who likes to go down his own path,instead of following/sounding like millions of others out there.

 

[Surly]

There was a thread somewhere about SVT players/tones. They all had different sounds.

 

[Stampy]

Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey is the best Ice cream in history. Its a FACT.

+1!!! Pretty much to each their own. I have an Ampeg B115 and as a step up from a Hartke B150 it's great. I like some of the Acoustic amps too. I saw an ad in my Bass Player mag for a whole Acoustic head and full cabinet for $1,000. Ampeg is almost double that for a SVT but I can't badmouth the SVT because I never played through one myself.

 

[JimmyM]

No,Grasshopper.You are not crazy for not liking Ampig.You are a person who likes to go down his own path,instead of following/sounding like millions of others out there.

Right...these two guys sound just alike:



Yep, that Ampeg stuff, you'll sound just like everyone else out there if you use it. Your personality, your playing style, the bass you use...none of it matters once you plug into an SVT. You will sound exactly the same as everyone else.

:scowl:

 

[kdogg]

Right...these two guys sound just alike:



Yep, that Ampeg stuff, you'll sound just like everyone else out there if you use it. Your personality, your playing style, the bass you use...none of it matters once you plug into an SVT. You will sound exactly the same as everyone else.

:scowl:

Not to derail, but Brian Johnson's voice is absolutely shredded in that second clip!

Now back to our regularly scheduled infighting...